The Hopeless Romantic
by GarciafanGirl21
Summary: Penelope Garcia was a sucker for romance, and the second Derek Morgan started loving her, he knew he would have to be too.
1. Chapter 1

_**Every time I try to write my other fanfic this keeps popping in my mind. So I'm gonna do both. Enjoy. : )**_

_What have you gotten yourself into Derek?_ he wondered as he watched Penelope Garcia, the BAU's tech, make her way across the headquarters flashing him a smile as she went.

And as usual his heart beat like mad in response. Her and Kevin had broken up over six months ago and ever since he been absolutely obsessed with her.

He hadn't ever been in _real_ love before. Not like this. He had lusted after many women before but he had never loved them. Nothing like how he was feeling after Penelope now.

He knew she liked romance. That's why she had broken up with Kevin, as she had told him, he wasn't romantic enough with her.

She wanted a man, who was a hopeless romantic just like her.

Romance, was the one department Derek wasn't too good at. Flowers, chocolate, moonlit walks, it all sounded way too over the top to him.

But his Baby Girl didn't think so. He had to prove there was a romantic guy out there for her.

And that guy was him.

He glanced back up from his paperwork just to see her cross in front of his desk, smiling at him yet again.

It was like she was taunting him with her perfection. There wasn't many out there like Penelope.

He watched her as she made her way back into her office, swinging her hips as she went. He could watch her all day without ever being bored.

He had to do something. He couldn't be like a lovesick school boy forever.

She was the one he shouldn't be with, after all they were coworkers. But the more forbidden she was to him the more he wanted to call her his own.

He leaned back in his desk chair enough so he could see just inside her office. When he saw she wasn't too busy he called her.

"Express Yourself Mortal."

"Hey Baby Girl."

"Hey Yourself Hot Stuff. What can I do for you?"

"Can't I just call to flirt?"

"I think that can be allowed." she said with a smirk. "But you do know that these calls are monitored."

"So?" Derek said, making her giggle.

"What's up Hot Stuff? You never just call to chat."

"I wanted to ask you a question."

"Shoot."

"How about you and me go out to dinner tonight? Unless you have plans…"

"No. No Plans. Dinner would be nice. What time?"

"About seven. I'll pick you up."

"Great. See you then."

She hung up and it took Derek a few minutes before he remembered how to lower the phone from his ear.

He and his Baby Girl were going out to dinner tonight.

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	2. Chapter 2

**Hey Everybody! Hope you enjoy! I may not update as frequently anymore because I have to go back to school. : )!**

He had seen his sisters get nervous before their dates, but he hadn't actually went through it himself. Normally he knew exactly what to say on dates, but tonight he wanted to impress Penelope.

What did impress Penelope? She wore bright colors, and had a wide vocabulary ,and she was a Hopeless Romantic.

He did the one thing he knew could help him out in this situation- he called his sisters Sarah and Desiree. He knew they had plans for the evening and would be together, and he dialed the number.

They answered on the third ring, and he immediately asked them what he had to ask them. Hoping they wouldn't ask for many details.

"I need my two favorite sister's help. I have a date." Derek announced.

Sarah and Desiree squealed in delight at the prospect of Derek having a date.

"Who's the lucky girl?" Sarah asked.

"You remember the tech girl for our team? Penelope? It's her."

"Finally!" Desiree said. "It took you two long enough to go out on a date."

"What should I do?"

"What do you mean?"

"I know to pay for the dinner and to pick her up. I got all of that. But she likes romance a lot and I know you two know a lot about all that stuff."

"You could get her flowers." Sarah suggested. "Don't do roses. Get another kind of flowers and it'll earn you creativity points."

"Don't get daisies! They're the flower of death!" Desiree said.

"Well if I can't get daises or roses what am I supposed to get her?"

"Just go in the flower shop and ask for the best." Sarah said.

"All right. What about at dinner?"

"Did you get a side room? If you can find one, make a reservation. They're really romantic because they're off to the side."

"And don't forget to walk her to the door at the end of the night and smooch her!" they both yelled into the phone.

Derek groaned. He didn't get why romance had to be so complicated. Finally, he got up and went to the flower shop.

*********************The Hopeless Romantic*******************

Derek was walking around the tables of a small flower shop he had found in downtown Quantico. He still couldn't figure out what to get. So he decided to call the genius, Reid.

"Hey Reid." Derek said. "You know some things about flowers right?"

"Yes." Reid said. "In fact my mom used to make me help our neighbors with their gardens."

"All right. I'm gonna read you a name of a flower and you tell me what it symbolizes."

"Okay." Reid said.

"Violets?"

"They represent faithfulness."

"Apple Blossoms?"

"Good things to come in the future for the two of you."

"Chrysanthemums?"

"In white they represent truth, and in red they mean 'I love you.'

"Prefect." Derek said.

They weren't roses exactly but they were close.

"Thanks Reid. Owe you one."

"Have fun with Penelope on your date. Make sure she has a good time."

"How'd you know I was going on a date with Penelope?"

"Penelope told JJ, and JJ told me."

"All right kid. Thanks.' he said hanging up the phone and buying the flowers.

He was really hoping that he wouldn't screw this evening up. It meant too much to him to have Penelope all to his self.

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	3. Chapter 3

**Some things go bad on dates and some things go well. This chapter is written to represent that. Enjoy. : )**

He was nervous, they hadn't talked much since she had broken up with Kevin, and he knew that she was more than likely suspicious on why he had asked her out.

He pulled up in front of he apartment building and grabbing the red chrysanthemums ,he walked up to her apartment.

It took him a second before he got the courage to knock on her door.

He had dressed in a gray button up shirt, with the top two buttons undone. He had put on a bit more cologne than normal, hoping he would smell nice to her.

She opened the door-and he could almost immediately tell he hadn't been clear with what he had meant by 'going out to dinner'.

But she still looked nice.

Her red curls were piled up on top of her head, secured by a few sequin covered hairpins. She was still wearing the dress she had worn to work that day-low cut and about six different colors.

"Hey Hot Stuff." she said, obviously noticing how underdressed she was.

"Where exactly are you taking me to dinner?"

"Somewhere special. You'll love it."

He had done plenty of research on where to take her out to dinner that night. Which restaurants had the better ratings, which ones had the friendliest service, things like that.

They were almost down to the SUV when Derek realized he had almost forgotten to give her the flowers.

"Here Baby Girl" he said. "I got you these flowers."

"They're beautiful Derek! What kind of flowers are they?"

"Chrysanthemums."

He could tell by the look on her face she truly liked them, and was surprised that he hadn't gotten her roses.

He made sure to make it a point-like Sarah had told him to do when she called him back-to open the car door for her.

She seemed a bit surprised by that as well, blushing a bit and thanking him.

So far, so good. Derek thought as he drove to the restaurant.

***************The Hopeless Romantic***************

It took a half hour to get from Quantico to where the restaurant was, and from the ratings on the internet he knew Pen would love it. It was one of those candlelit restaurants that played romantic music as the background noise.

He gave his last name at the door and the waiter escorted them to their table-the best table in the whole restaurant.

"Wow Derek. You could've told me how fancy this place was, and I would've have dressed more formally."

"You look prefect."

She just smiled at him.

When the waiter brought their food to the table Derek noticed Pen had her eyes locked on a corner on the other side of the room.

"Pen what's wrong?"

"This is the same restaurant Baylor took me to, before he shot me."

Derek was in shock. He remembered her saying it had taken about a half hour to get there, but she had never given him the specifics.

"Penelope, I am so sorry. I had no idea,"

"I know you didn't."

"Do you want to leave?"

"After all the money you paid for this table and the food. No, I'll be fine."

As soon as they were done eating they left. As they were walking towards Derek's SUV, he pulled her close to him.

"I'm sorry you had to remember that tonight. I wanted this just to be a special evening for the two of us."

"It's fine Derek really. You didn't know."

"I wanted this evening to be prefect." he said, as they drove off.

"Nothing's prefect Hot Stuff."

"I guess not." he said in reply, thinking frantically how he was going to pull off another date without her getting on to what he was doing.

******************The Hopeless Romantic*****************

As soon as he was in the door of his apartment his phone rang. He check the collar ID before answering and when he saw it was his mother he answered it.

"How was your date?"

"Sarah and Desiree told you."

"Yeah. Now how did it go?"

"Not so good. I accidentally took her back to the same restaurant that the guy who shot her-Baylor- took her to."

"It's not your fault Derek."

"What do I do?"

"You wait until work tomorrow, and talk to her. Ask her out to again to 'make it up' to her."

"What kind of date should I take her on? I don't want to take her out to dinner again for a while."

"How about a movie date?"

"No, I want it to mean something and we've saw movies together before."

"How about you cook her dinner? You wouldn't be taking her out."

Derek thought that through. "All right-but I'm gonna need some of your recipes."

"You got it." Fran told her son, before she went down to the kitchen to get her recipe book.

****************The Hopeless Romantic************

Penelope was sitting at her apartment, typing as fast as she could on her laptop and trying not to let the memories of being shot enter her mind.

Baylor still haunted her. But she never told anyone because she thought they would think she was crazy.

She went to Google and typed in 'Chrysanthemums' and found a website about the meaning of flowers.

She found the flower color that Derek had given her-every color had a different meaning- and was shocked at what red meant.

It was almost as if she could hear him telling her in her mind.

_I love you._

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	4. Chapter 4

**I AM BACK! Finally a break in my very busy freshmen schedule to update! Enjoy! :D**

The next day after work, Derek made a beeline for JJ's office. He knew she was a good cook and could help him with his dilemma.

He wanted to cook Pen dinner to make it up to her. It sounded all gooey and romantic to him.

But what if Pen didn't think so?

JJ was gathering up some paperwork on her desk and getting ready to go home when Derek pretty much ran in her office and closed the door.

"I need your help with something."

'Morgan what's wrong with you?"

"I'm cooking dinner for Pen later tonight and need your help because I'm not the best cook."

"Why are you cooking her dinner?"

'Does it matter?"

"Well Yes. If you want my help."

"I asked her out last night but it didn't go too well."

"Oh. I guess I can help you. Do you have some recipes?"

About three hours later, and twenty minutes before Pen was supposed to arrive, they had finished cooking. JJ had suggested they get chocolate covered strawberries. She knew how romantic they were and how much Pen loved them. They had also gotten candles and lit about twenty of them and placed them all over the living room and turned out the lights.

He had also borrowed a CD of love songs from JJ's car. He was almost afraid he would appear desperate but he honestly didn't care at that moment.

If it would make Pen love him, it was worth it.

As soon as Pen knocked on the front door JJ slipped out the back door, praying she hadn't noticed her car nearby Derek's apartment building.

"Hey Baby Girl."

"Hey Hot Stuff." she said, walking into his apartment and noticing the candles, the strawberries, and the music.

"Morgs, what is all of this?"

He smiled. "I promised you dinner and that's what your gonna get."

He led her to his kitchen table which had roses sitting in the middle of it now, (another one of JJ's ideas) with candles surrounding it.

He brought her the dinner he and JJ had made, hoping she liked it.

"Wow, Derek. I didn't know you was such a good cook."

He smiled at her. "There's a lot of things you don't know about me."

"Mm. Like what? That these are more than likely your Mom's recipes?"

Derek looked at her wide eyed and she laughed.

"I've been with you to your Mom's house several times. And I've saw her recipes."

"Oh." he said, he hadn't thought she remember.

She remembered the chrysanthemums. The candles, the dimmed lights, the roses, what did it all mean? Could he, the player Derek Morgan be in love with her?

"Derek, tell me the truth. Why did you ask me out?"

"Because you're my Baby Girl." he said as though the answer was obvious.

"I know, but I've always been that. Why all romantic all of a sudden?"

The minute she said 'romantic', Derek felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. She thought he was doing well. What a relief.

"I..uh…thought you liked romance. You said that was why you broke up with Lynch."

"True. I do like romance, and that was one of the many reasons I broke up with Kevin."

"So you think I'm doing a good job Red Delicious?"

She smiled at him. "Derek your doing an amazing job."

"Well I'm glad." he said, and they smiled at each other.

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	5. Chapter 5

**Read it up and enjoy. **

She had told him he was doing amazing. Not great, not good-amazing.

He was speechless, like how she often left him, making him fight to come up with another comeback.

"Well Beautiful it's all for you."

"And the Tech Kitten thanks you Sugar Shack."

He loved the teasing between the two of them. The sexual banter had been enough for him before, but the minute she was single again it wasn't. He wanted her to be his.

This was his chance. If he never got another one this was it.

"Pen, I love you. You know that, right?"

She smiled at him. "I love you too Handsome."

"When I say 'love', you do understand what that means right?"

She was silent for a spilt second before she whispered:

"It's not brotherly or friendly love anymore is it?"

"No Penelope it isn't. You don't have to love me that way in return either. I just wanted you to know."

She smiled at him. "Hot Stuff, I've always felt that way about you. Always."

He was surprised. "Really?"

"Yes, really! Every time I've said 'Hey Derek, I love you!' I've meant it."

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner? You would've had to waste time with Lynch."

"I didn't know you felt the way you do. That was until you started being romantic. And I've gotta say, your pretty sexy when your trying to be romantic."

"Thanks." he said, enjoying the fact she was flirting with him.

"So what are we now?" Derek asked.

Pen was silent for a moment. "Well we've always been more than just friends."

"So we still are, more than just friends?"

She realized what he was close to asking her. "Yes, I guess we are."

He smiled at her. "Would you like to be my girlfriend, Pen?"

"Mhm..Derek Morgan, a god of thunder as my boyfriend, I'm really going to have to think about that."

"Don't tease me like that Woman."

"Well then Hot Stuff, I can't see why I would say no."

He reached across the table to take her hand in his. "I'm really glad you're my girlfriend Pen."

All she could do was smile at him. They were really dating at last.

*********************The Hopeless Romantic*****************

He had talked her into spending the night with him. Not in a sexual way, but they had slept in the same bed together. That was a first. In Alaska, he had taken the floor, and when she was shot he slept on the couch.

He loved waking up with her beside him. He couldn't wait to see what life had in store for them.

She felt him stirring and opened her eyes.

"Hey boyfriend o'mine."

"Hello yourself Gorgeous."

She smiled at her nickname as she pulled herself closer to him. She laid both her hands onto his chest and gazed up into his eyes, which she could now see the love inside.

How many nights had she dreamed of this? Waking up in his bed in his arms? Had he himself ever dreamed of this?

"I love you Pen." Derek said.

"I love you too."

And then their true love was finally beginning.

**& I'm finally done! I had to wrap it up eventually and I'm sorry about how short it is. Hope you enjoyed and that your going to review me! :D**


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